Squamous carcinoma of the cervix complicating pregnancy: recurrence in episiotomy after vaginal delivery

A patient developed recurrence of squamous carcinoma of the cervix in the episiotomy scar after vaginal delivery through the involved cervix. At the time of her radical hysterectomy, all margins and nodes were free of tumor, suggesting implantation at delivery as the etiology of the recurrence. Review of the literature revealed three other cases of episiotomy recurrence. All cases were either clinically unsuspected or had negative Papanicolaou tests during pregnancy. Careful surveillance and early therapy appear to give a more favorable prognosis for this unusual type of recurrence.

Construction of a neovagina for patients with a flat perineum

Vaginal dilatation affords an acceptable functional success rate for women with vaginal agenesis, provided there is an introitus with a pouch or dimple. In contrast, women with a flat perineum who lack labia majora, labia minora, and vaginal introitus have no alternative to development of a vagina-like orifice other than surgical vaginoplasty. This study addresses the anatomic and functional success rate of these women after undergoing modified McIndoe technique. Thirty-four patients with microphallus were assigned the female gender as the sex of rearing at the Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1951 and 1987. A majority of patients underwent surgical revision of the external genitalia and gonadectomy before 2 years of age. Family counseling was begun at birth. Of these patients, 15 (17 to 25 years old) who requested the ability to have sexual relations underwent modified McIndoe vaginoplasty. All 15 of these women have experienced satisfactory coitus. All but one patient have an adequate size vagina. Results of this group indicate that patients with ambiguous genitalia as a result of male hermaphroditism or microphallus can achieve functional success after vaginal creation with a modified McIndoe technique despite the presence of a flat perineum.

Effects of the severity of tubo-ovarian disease and previous tubal surgery on the results of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ovarian response and in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF-ET) results in patients with tubal infertility and two ovaries, according to (1) the degree and extent of pelvic disease (isolated tubal or tubo-ovarian) and (2) previous adnexal surgical procedures. A total of 549 patients who underwent 1031 IVF-ET cycles were evaluated. Significant findings were as follows: (1) No differences were found in the number of preovulatory oocytes, fertilization rates, or serum estradiol levels in the follicular phase between any classes of tubo-ovarian disease. (2) Patients with a "frozen pelvis" had significantly fewer follicles aspirated than those in any other category, although they had equivalent numbers of preovulatory oocytes retrieved and pregnancy rates. (3) Patients with previous bilateral tubal ligation had higher pregnancy rates than patients with severe tubo-ovarian disease. (4) The type of prior pelvic surgical procedure had no effect on IVF-ET outcome. Although patients with no cause of infertility other than tubal ligation had better results, these patients had previously proven fertility. We conclude that neither the stage of tubo-ovarian disease nor any history of pelvic adhesions or tubal surgery has a significant impact on the efficiency of IVF-ET.

Does ulcerative colitis behave differently in the elderly?

The clinical course of all new patients with ulcerative colitis or indeterminate colitis aged 65 years or older diagnosed in one health district (population 274,000) between 1 January 1975 and 31 December 1984 has been compared with that of all new patients 55 years or younger diagnosed in the same period. Elderly patients were admitted more often in a first attack and were more likely to receive systemic steroids. No elderly patient required urgent surgery and no patient in either group died of ulcerative colitis or its complications. The mortality amongst elderly patients with ulcerative colitis was no greater than expected in a population of the same age. The prognosis for ulcerative colitis in elderly patients is the same as for younger patients.

In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF/ET): an established and successful therapy for endometriosis

The purpose of this report is to present a 6-year experience in the management of endometriosis with in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF/ET). We divided 136 patients who underwent 280 cycles into three groups: (1) previous history of endometriosis but normal pelvis at the time of oocyte retrieval, (2) stages I-II endometriosis (revised AFS classification), and (3) stages III-IV endometriosis. The stimulation protocols, estradiol (E2) responses, and distribution of terminal E2 patterns were similar in all groups. Group 3 had significantly fewer preovulatory and immature oocytes retrieved and fewer embryos transferred. The fertilization rate and the per cycle/per transfer pregnancy rates were similar in all groups. The miscarriage rate was higher in group 3, and the ongoing pregnancy rate per cycle was lower. Luteal phase E2 and progesterone levels were comparable in all groups. No differences were found when groups 2 and 3 were analyzed for the presence of one or two ovaries or the presence/absence of ovarian endometriosis. The overall fertilization rate, the per cycle/per transfer pregnancy rates, and the miscarriage rate were similar to those of tubal factor patients. We underscore the excellent outcome of patients with minimal or mild endometriosis in IVF/ET. We conclude that patients with moderate or severe endometriosis have a compromised reproductive potential, probably because of a reduced oocyte recovery rate and poor embryo quality.

Failure of fertilization in in vitro fertilization: the "occult" male factor

Failure of fertilization in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) deserves extensive analysis for better prediction of the success or failure of this therapeutic modality. Consequently, we retrospectively studied the 52 couples in whom fertilization failed during Norfolk series 18 to 25, in an effort to establish the precise causes of failure. In the initial evaluation, pure oocyte abnormalities were identified in 19.2% of the cases; 32.6% showed sperm abnormalities, and a combination of oocyte and sperm anomalies was found in 7.7%. In 40.4% of the cases, failure of fertilization could not be explained. Reassessment of sperm morphology by new, strict criteria increased the identification of sperm abnormalities to 61.5% and of combined sperm and oocyte anomalies to 13.4%, for a total of 74.9% of sperm factors involved, as opposed to 40.3% in the original evaluation. The incidence of unexplained failed fertilization was substantially reduced, to 11.5%. In a control group (tubal infertility) matched by age, date, and stimulation, in whom fertilization occurred, 83.3% had normal sperm parameters as judged by the new criteria for morphology evaluation. This paper emphasizes the need for a more accurate diagnosis of sperm abnormalities to establish the true incidence of this factor in failed fertilization and to obtain information of prognostic value to patients and clinicians.

Mechanisms and factors of early pregnancy wastage in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer patients

Although the pregnancy rate per transfer of the Norfolk In Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET) program has been reported as between 25% and 35%, the viable pregnancy rate per transfer is only 15% to 20%. An understanding of the mechanism(s) and etiologic factors of miscarriage among IVF patients might suggest changes that could prevent some early pregnancy wastage. Forty-seven consecutive single pregnancies and 26 miscarriages (October 1985 to November 1986) were included in this study. Factors such as implantation time, date of corpus luteum rescue (CLR), embryo quality, and corpus luteum activity after rescue were studied and compared between term pregnancy and miscarriage groups. Results are discussed in detail in this paper.

The efficiency of human reproduction after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

Two hundred ninety-seven nonpregnant patients were used to study the possibility of early transient implantation as a parameter of the efficiency of in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. Ten patients without embryo transfer (ET) were used as controls. The luteal estradiol, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). In 31 cases, a transient elevation of hCG occurred after complete serum clearance of exogenous hCG, suggesting that the transient increase in hCG was of embryonic origin. In addition, five patients were found to have prolonged clearance of hCG, which was due not to individual variation in clearance, but to a minimal production of hCG by trophoblastic tissue. These data suggest that implantations occurred in 12.1% of our so-called "nonpregnant" patients.

Surveillance in ulcerative colitis: burdens and benefit

A review of all patients with ulcerative colitis in one health district between 1975-84 revealed an incidence and prevalence of 7.1 and 84/100,000 population respectively. One hundred and ninety five new patients were diagnosed and 313 patients seen and followed up in the clinic for 1168 patient years. None of these patients died from colitis or a complication. On routine colonoscopy three cases had high grade dysplasia and two asymptomatic carcinomas (Duke's stage A and B). Eighty four patients were known to have ulcerative colitis, but were lost to follow up from the hospital clinic; the total time they were not under hospital surveillance was 315 patient years. At the end of the study these patients were contacted or clinical details obtained from their general practitioners. Five of these patients subsequently presented with symptomatic carcinomas (two Duke's B, one Duke's C and two with metastases); three of these five patients have died from their tumours. Of 48 patients thought to have only mild colitis on initial investigation 21 (43%) had substantial colitis (and two carcinomas) on colonoscopy after eight years of disease. Therefore, patients with apparently distal colitis should be followed in the clinic as well as those with known extensive colitis. For a surveillance programme in a district general hospital, eight patients per 100,000 population need to be seen weekly, 12 colonoscopies/100,000 population need to be carried out annually and the cost for each carcinoma detected is approximately 6015 pounds.

Management of stage II endometrial adenocarcinoma

Charts of 36 patients with clinical stage II endometrial adenocarcinoma over ten years were reviewed. All were staged before any treatment, in accordance with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) guidelines. Although details of treatment varied, two main protocols were used. Fourteen patients were treated with the "standard" protocol involving external whole-pelvis radiation, followed by intracavitary cesium and then hysterectomy. In 1981, a "modified" protocol was introduced, which called for a hysterectomy immediately following intrauterine and vaginal cesium. External radiation therapy was given only to those patients found to have deep myometrial invasion or cervical involvement. Of 14 patients treated by this protocol, seven had no surgical indication for postoperative external radiation. There was no increase in recurrence in these patients, and the five-year survival rate was 76% for patients treated with the modified protocol compared with 65% for those who had standard therapy. Morbidity related to external radiation therapy occurred in two patients with the standard protocol and one patient who received pelvic radiation on the modified protocol.

Advanced ovarian cancer: long-term results of treatment with intensive cisplatin-based chemotherapy of brief duration

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine the efficacy of a 6-month course of combination chemotherapy with hexamethylmelamine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (H-CAP) in the treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma.

DESIGN

Prospective, non-randomized, single-institution trial with a 6-month course of chemotherapy, followed by second-look laparotomy for restaging. Minimum follow-up after completion of therapy is 83 months.

PATIENTS

Fifty-five patients with advanced (stage III or IV), intermediate- or high-grade epithelial carcinoma of the ovary. Twenty patients had limited residual tumor (3 cm or less maximal tumor diameter) after initial cytoreductive surgery; 35 had extensive residual disease.

INTERVENTIONS

All patients received chemotherapy with hexamethylmelamine (150 mg/m2 body surface area orally on days 1 to 14), cyclophosphamide (350 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8), doxorubicin (20 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8), and cisplatin (60 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1). Courses were repeated at 4-week intervals; 41 patients (75%) received six courses; 10 patients received five courses, 3 patients received four courses, and 1 patients received three courses. Forty-seven patients underwent second-look laparotomy after completion of therapy; 8 had their disease restaged clinically.

RESULTS

Fifty-three of fifty-five patients (96%) had either partial or complete response to treatment. Nineteen of forty-seven patients who had a second-look laparotomy had a surgically documented complete response; 17 of these 19 patients began chemotherapy with limited residual tumor. Ten patients (18%) remain disease-free 83 to 108 months after therapy, whereas three additional patients died of other diseases without clinical evidence of recurrent ovarian cancer. Nine of twenty patients who began chemotherapy with limited residual tumor remain disease-free, as compared to only 1 of 35 patients with more extensive tumor (P less than 0.001). All long-term, disease-free survivors had surgically documented complete response at second-look laparotomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy after aggressive cytoreductive surgery should be considered standard treatment for advanced ovarian carcinoma. Our intensive, 6-month course of treatment produced results comparable to those previously reported with prolonged treatment.

In vitro (organ culture) studies of the toxicity of specific A-gliadin peptides in celiac disease

Specific peptides of known amino acid sequence were prepared from alpha-gliadin (A-gliadin) by cleavage of the protein with cyanogen bromide and chymotrypsin and purification of the resulting peptides. The three peptides derived from the cyanogen bromide cleavage spanned the complete sequence of A-gliadin (266 residues). Four peptides derived from chymotryptic digestion covered the N-terminal sequence through residue 68. These peptides were tested for toxicity in celiac disease by organ culture of biopsied small intestinal tissues taken from patients with active celiac disease. Enterocyte height was used as a measure of peptide effect on cultured tissues. Five of seven peptides tested significantly inhibited increase of enterocyte height in the cultures and were considered toxic on this basis. The largest common sequences among the toxic peptides were -pro-ser-gln-gln- and -gln-gln-gln-pro-; these sequences were absent from the nontoxic peptides. The relationship of these sequences to the damaging effect of gliadins on the small intestinal mucosa in celiac disease remains to be investigated.

Low prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among Egyptian females

Analysis of 4458 patients evaluated by cytology at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kasr El-Einy Hospital, Cairo University, during the years 1981 to 1985 revealed that only 1.07% of these women had abnormal cytology. The prevalence rate for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) was remarkably low, corresponding to 3.59/1000 for CIN grade I, 2.28/1000 for CIN II, and 1.16/1000 for CIN III. The mean age for CIN was 44.23 years while that for cervical cancer was 54.32. This low prevalence rate of CIN among Egyptian females, together with the late onset of the disease in comparison with other populations, calls for further study of the epidemiologic characteristics of this low-risk community.

Functional nature of glomerular injury in progressive diabetic glomerulopathy

We describe in physiological terms the increasing glomerular capillary wall (GCW) dysfunction of 20 patients with diabetic glomerulopathy and heavy proteinuria. The clearances of uncharged polysaccharide markers of graded size were used to probe the glomerular filter on three occasions over a 24-mo period. The findings were analyzed with a theoretical model of solute transport that depicts most of the GCW as an isoporous membrane and the minor portion as a nondiscriminatory shunt pathway. Initially, the mean glomerular ultrafiltration coefficient Kf is computed to have been 3-5 times lower and mean pore radius of the major membrane component (r0) 2 A smaller than normal control values. In contrast, the model computes the fraction of filtrate volume permeating the nondiscriminatory shunt pathway (omega 2) to have been sixfold elevated above control values and to have correlated strongly in individual patients with the fractional clearances of albumin (r = .72) and of IgG (r = .73). Sequential studies after 12 and 24 mo revealed an invariable decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Fractional clearances of albumin and IgG increased with time in most patients but declined in a few instances (20-25%). Change in omega 2 tended to occur in parallel with fractional protein clearance, regardless of its direction. We conclude that in progressive diabetic glomerulopathy GFR declines because of a loss by glomerular capillaries of ultrafiltration capacity, proteinuria is largely a consequence of increasingly impaired barrier-size selectivity, and the foregoing injuries reflect damage to different parts of the GCW and may become dissociated from one another with the passage of time.

Results of in vitro fertilization attempts in patients with one or two ovaries

The purpose of this communication is to evaluate the results of in vitro fertilization attempts in women with infertility due to a tubal factor, with one or two ovaries. Four hundred fifteen patients (788 cycles) with two ovaries and 86 patients (162 cycles) with one ovary were stimulated with gonadotropins starting on day 3 of the cycle for multiple follicular development. Although the mean number of preovulatory oocytes per laparoscopy and per transfer was significantly higher (2.33 versus 1.67 and 2.28 versus 1.99, respectively) in patients with two ovaries than in those with one ovary, the pregnancy rates per transfer were almost identical in the two groups (24.4% with two ovaries, 23.9% with one ovary). Results are presented according to different stimulation protocols and different age groups. It is concluded that although fewer fertilizable oocytes may be recruited from patients with one ovary, the potential for achieving a pregnancy is no different from that of patients with two ovaries.

Acute colitis in a district general hospital

A review of all patients who had been admitted to hospital with acute ulcerative colitis in one health district between 1975 and 1984 showed that 96 had required 114 admissions with acute colitis: 42% (40) were admitted during their first attack, and 20% (19) required urgent surgery. A further nine patients underwent surgery after responding initially to intensive medical treatment that did not check the attack. There were no deaths from acute colitis. Thirteen patients underwent elective surgery for ulcerative colitis, and there were no deaths. The prognosis for acute colitis in district general hospitals has improved.

Simultaneous radiation and chemotherapy for advanced carcinoma of the cervix

Six patients with poor prognosis carcinoma of the cervix were treated with external radiation therapy simultaneously with cisplatin, bleomycin, and vincristine. Toxicity was very mild with nausea and vomiting and mild myelosuppression being the major toxicities. At a median of 36 months follow-up, four of six patients are alive, three with no evidence of disease. The median survival after diagnosis is 25+ months. The data suggest that radiation therapy and cytotoxic therapy administered together in patients with advanced cervix carcinoma is well tolerated. Further study to determine therapeutic efficacy is warranted.

Combination chemotherapy for patients with advanced carcinoma of the cervix: trial of mitomycin-C, vincristine, bleomycin, and cisplatin

Sixteen patients with metastatic or recurrent carcinoma of the cervix were treated with combination chemotherapy consisting of mitomycin-C, vincristine, bleomycin, and cisplatin. Seven of 14 (50%) evaluable patients responded. In 2 patients all measurable disease resolved. Median duration of response was 4.5 months. Toxicity was severe and consisted of myelosuppression, pulmonary fibrosis, nausea, vomiting, stomatitis, asthenia, and fever. Two treatment-related deaths occurred. This combination chemotherapy regimen appears to have a response rate similar to other cisplatin containing regimens. Response durations were short and toxicity was severe.

Results of in vitro fertilization attempts in women 40 years of age and older: the Norfolk experience

Twenty-nine patients 40 years of age or older were stimulated with gonadotropins, starting on day 3 of the cycle, in a total of 64 cycles (January 1983 to June 1985) for multiple follicular development for in vitro fertilization. Most patients' infertility was due to tubal disease (n = 8) or pelvic endometriosis (n = 14). The mean number of preovulatory and immature oocytes recovered per laparoscopy was 2.53 +/- 1.73 and 1.57 +/- 1.58, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the number of preovulatory and immature oocytes harvested, fertilized, or transferred in this group and the number in patients younger than 40 years of age. No statistically significant differences were observed between peripheral estradiol and progesterone levels in patients 40 years of age or older and levels in patients 39 years of age or younger. There were 15 pregnancies in this group of patients, for a pregnancy rate of 23.4% per stimulated cycle, 27.7% per laparoscopy, and 29.4% per transfer. The ongoing pregnancy rate (12%) was lower, and the total abortion rate (60%) was higher, in patients 40 years of age or older in comparison with patients 39 years of age or younger. Patients 40 years of age or older should be counseled regarding the high abortion rate in this group.